The Case of Charles Dexter Ward · Character

Theodore Ward

Charles's prosperous banker father, a decent, orderly man whose love for his son is slowly overtaken by a dread he cannot name or explain to anyone.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Ward, the senior Ward, the elder Ward, Dear Theodore

First appearance: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

As a supporting figure in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, Theodore Ward is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Charles's father, who is deeply concerned about his son's obsession and strange activities, and eventually consults Dr.

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Theodore Ward presides over a comfortable Providence household and a family name he assumes is unremarkable, until his son's researches begin to disturb the house's peace and his wife's sleep. He is not a man of occult curiosity; he is a father trying to decide how much of his son's strangeness is illness, how much is defiance, and how much is something he would rather not understand. His reluctant consent to institutionalize Charles opens the novel and frames its central grief.

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Character Web

6 connections

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Relationship types

Family
Other

Character groups

Associates, Family, and Background Figures
Protagonist
Investigators and Victims

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the moment Dr. Willett and Mr. Ward fully confront and ar…

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Relationships

Charles Dexter Ward
family · ambivalent
Theodore is Charles's father, who is increasingly alarmed by his son's bizarre behavior… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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In the story

Theodore Ward appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Charles's father, who is deeply concerned about his son's obsession and strange activities, and eventually consults Dr. Willett.
I: A Result and a Prologue
Ward's grieving father, who reluctantly placed him under restraint and was informed of his escape.
III: A Search and an Evocation
Requests Dr. Willett's interview with Charles; later confronts Charles about his activities; discovers the portrait has crumbled.
IV: A Mutation and a Madness
Deeply worried by his son's behavior; holds conferences with Dr. Willett and later with bank officials; summons alienists after the forgery discovery.
V: A Nightmare and a Cataclysm
Conferring with Willett, he is horrified by the revelations about his son and agrees to a secret exploration of the bungalow.

Chapter companion notes

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